Letters: It's too easy to blame society for Tucson tragedy

Associated PressCarlos Loreto signs a cross at the memorial for the Jan. 8 shooting victims in front of University Medical Center in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, Nick Oza)

It's too easy to blame society for Tucson tragedy

The tone of political discourse has been looked upon as an excuse for the tragedy that occurred in Tucson, Ariz. But the fact of the matter, however, is that political debate can and does at times tend to get overheated.

Tempers flare. This is certainly nothing new. As far back as the final years of the 18th century, Democrats and Federalists were so bitter with one another that even disunion loomed as a serious possibility. But no matter how high tensions between any opposing factions may get, it is no reason for anyone to pick up a firearm and start shooting. Responsibility over what happened in Tucson rests with Jared Loughner alone and not with any one of us who has ever angrily raised his or her voice while discussing an issue.

To illustrate further, let us look at what happened in Waco, Texas, back in April 1993. As then President Clinton himself acknowledged at the time, David Koresh was the one who bore ultimate responsibility for that inferno at the compound.

The president had the good sense not to blame society as a whole. It has become too easy to use these excuses regarding society and the people generally.

– DARREN BOCK, West Springfield

U.S. Constitution needs reality check

Recent contributors, claiming to revere our Constitution, have contended that the framers of the Constitution were opposed to an “overbearing” powerful federal government.

In reality, the founders intended to create a strong central government with the power to tax, raise an army and regulate interstate commerce. They intended to create a strong executive, a commander-in-chief, with veto power.

Our first constitution, the Articles of Confederation, created a weak federal government. Under the Confederation, each state retained its sovereignty and federal powers were limited. The Confederation Congress had no power to tax, to regulate interstate commerce or to raise an army. Completely dependent upon the states, the Congress was chronically bankrupt and unable to meet domestic and foreign threats.

George Washington described the Confederation as “a half-starved, limping government, always moving upon crutches and tottering at every step.” Alexander Hamilton described it as “neither fit for war, nor peace.”

It was the opponents of the Constitution who feared a strong central government and demanded that a Bill of Rights be added to the Constitution. Patrick Henry refused to attend the Constitutional Convention, exclaiming “I smell a rat.” Upon reading the Constitution, he warned that it would “oppress and ruin the people.”

– MICHAEL CAMEROTA, Westfield

Encore for opera greatly appreciated

Bravo! An encore screening of Mussorgsky’s ‘Boris Godunov,” live in high-definition from the Metropolitan Opera, has been scheduled at Rave Motion Picture 15 in West Springfield for Feb. 9 at 6.30 p.m.

The encore screening scheduled for Jan. 12 collided with the blizzard, and the performance played to a nearly empty house. So after some desperate correspondence with Rave Motion Pictures’ corporate headquarters in Dallas, and in the remarkable period of only three business days, word reached us of this additional screening.

This news demonstrates dedication and cooperation between two very important arts organizations: the Metropolitan Opera and Rave Motion Pictures. While we may be a small viewing constituency in the larger scheme of the viewing world, we are a passionate population and we love this greatest of all art forms. So we are grateful for the efforts that will make this event happen.

See you at “Boris.”

– CHARLES B. HAYWARD, East Longmeadow

China taking over in the U.S. kitchen?

I recently purchased a new 15th edition of the “Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook” to replace my old second printing cookbook.

On the inside cover it stated it was printed in 1953 in the United States. My new cookbook was printed in China. I can’t believe we send printing material to China. If I had read the inside cover I would not have purchased the cookbook.